It is well-recognized that a person sitting in a seat for an extended time period may desire additional support to obtain greater seat comfort and/or alleviate seat discomfort. Vehicle operators, vehicle passengers, and people whose jobs require them to be seated for extended periods of time are typically chief among those individuals who seek such additional support. The support is typically desired to provide greater comfort in the lower or the lumbar region of the back. As used herein, the term "seat" applies to a variety of seat structures, including chairs and vehicular seats.
The discomfort problem has been addressed in the prior art in several ways. A simple, although not complete, solution is to utilize a pillow placed low in the seat against the back thereof. By configuring the pillow into different shapes, a variation in lumbar support can be achieved. More permanent solutions to lumbar support problems have also been addressed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,076,643 issued to A. Colasanti, et al., on Dec. 31, 1993; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,348 issued to A. Colasanti on Mar. 2, 1993.
Each of the Colasanti devices requires that a rigid mounting plate be positioned within the seat. In the '643 patent, a semi-flexible contoured plate is secured to the mounting plate and an inflatable bladder is positioned between the mounting plate and the contoured plate against which a user rests. The mounting plate is secured to the seat frame using a plurality of helically shaped springs. The bladder is fixed to the both the mounting plate and the contoured plate, using VELCRO.COPYRGT., to create an operational unit. A valve is also connected the bladder to permit air to enter or exit the bladder or, when closed, to stabilize the pressure within the bladder and, consequently, to stabilize the support given by the device. The pressure in the bladder is adjusted to give the desired support by varying the spacing between the contoured plate and the mounting plate. Use of the semi-contourable plate in the '643 device, especially in a well-used or worn seat, will render the passenger uncomfortable during longer travel as the plate edges will create discomfort. Repeated use of the seat back will result in a strain on the helical mounting springs which will cause the '643 device to mis-position and reduce its operative effectiveness. Repeated use of the bladder will also cause fatigue to the perimeter of the bladder, failure of the bladder's walls and, ultimately, result operational failure of the device.
The '348 device includes a contoured plate which is mounted on the mounting plate and contained within an enclosure formed by the sealing of the inflatable bladder onto the mounting plate. As with the '643 device, the bladder of the '348 device is similarly connected to a valve which permits air to enter or exit the bladder or, when closed, stabilize the pressure within the bladder and, thus, stabilize the support given by the device. However, the '348 device fails to completely address the need for an adjustable lumbar support device. Through repeated use, the employment of a spring metal contour plate proximate the bladder surface insures that the '348 device will eventually be rendered useless as the edges of the metal plate will wear through the bladder surface. Repeated use or defective securement can cause failure of the connective seam between the bladder and the mounting plate. Moreover, such repeated use or defective securement can also cause dissociation of the contour plate from the mounting plate.
Both of the devices described in the '643 and '348 patents are of complex construction and require substantial time and cost for fabrication and installation. The requirements for the installation of a mounting plate, as well as the inter-securement of the bladder and plate elements, are primary reasons for the high cost, complexity of construction and the need of substantial time for the manufacture and installation of each device. Both of the devices are also structurally and functionally dissimilar from the present invention.
Other devices may appear to be integrable with either or both of the Colasanti devices and, in combination, appear similar to the device of the present invention. However, none of these devices, whether viewed independently and/or in combination with either or both of the Colasanti devices, resemble the present invention such that its conception would be obvious to one skilled in the art. Among these other devices are those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 134,853 issued to E. Cliff on Jan. 14, 1873; U.S. Pat. No. 162,165 issued to G. F. Godley on Mar. 4, 1875; and, U.S. Pat. No. 4,567,615 issued to H. Fanti on Feb. 4, 1986.
The '853 patent to Cliff and the '165 patent to Godley disclose spring leaf devices for vehicles, which are distinguishable by their very purpose. Unlike the present invention, the Cliff device incorporates a plurality of layered, industrial strength spring leaves in its overall structure. The Cliff device also includes hinge members which must be secured to either bearing blocks or clip connections for effective operation. Moreover, the Cliff device fails to provide any means for the manual or automated regulation of its overall expansion or contraction.
The Godley device utilizes a pair of blocks disposed on opposite ends of a bolt. The blocks receive the ends of a series of retroverted springs or spring leaves and cooperate with the bolt to delimit the bounds of movement for the springs. The springs or spring leaves, independently or with the assistance of a helical spring positioned about the bolt, pre-dispose the blocks to an extreme position. In operation, the blocks oscillate along the bar depending on the degree of force exerted on them. Neither the Cliff device nor the Godley device is designed to be disposed in a seat or seat system. Neither the Cliff device nor the Godley device is designed to provide lumbar support for a seat occupant. Further, both the Cliff and the Godley devices fail to provide any means for manual or automated regulation of their overall expansion or contraction.
The Fanti device discloses a spring-slat arrangement for a bed frame which includes mounting supports for mounting onto the longitudinal beams of a bed frame and a series of pairs of slats which are received in the mounting supports in a perpendicular relation to the beams. The Fanti device further includes an elastic strap which is centrally disposed on the slats and which runs along the straps in a parallel orientation to the beams. As with both Cliff and Godley, the Fanti device is not designed to be disposed in a seat or seat system. Nor is the Fanti device designed to provide lumbar support for a seat occupant. Similarly, Fanti fails to provide any means for manual or automated regulation of its overall expansion or contraction. Consequently, it is neither obvious to one skilled in the art to combine any of these referenced to produce the subject matter of the present invention, nor does the combination of these references result in a device which approximates the structure and/or the function of the present invention.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an adjustable lumbar seat support for seats that can be installed with a minimum of labor.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an adjustable lumbar seat support that does not require a separate mounting plate.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an adjustable lumbar seat support which is regulable using different regulation mechanisms.
Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide an adjustable lumbar seat support which is of durable construction, yet easy to manufacture.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon a consideration of the drawings referred to hereinafter, and a complete description thereof